Okay. So I'm having a hard time holding this in.

Yesterday I found out one of the girls I hang out with (there are four of us pals) died. From an overdose. She was on prescription meds, and was out on stress leave. Some say that it was suicidal, some say she probably drank liquor with the drugs and made a bad mistake. Either way, she's gone.

So I've been talking back and forth with a few supportive friends. We had actually started to discuss whether or not we should try to stop someone from suicide. And within there the question came up:

ARE YOU AFRAID OF DEATH?

It came out that we talked about acceptance of death and denial of it - the results of both and how they would matter in the mind of the person considering committing suicide.

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.

Originally Posted by making

Please dont outsmart the censor. That is a very expensive censor and every time one of you guys outsmart it it makes someone at the home office feel bad. We dont wanna do that. So dont cleverly disguise bad words.

Sorry to hear about your friends passing Siu. It's a tragedy regardles of how she died.

Having been placed in a couple of situations where I was staring death in the face and come out of them...I can say that I didn;t fear death at that(those) very moments. In general, I'm a person who doesn't spend a lot of time contemplating my mortality. While I can see why someone could take their own life...it's not something I would consider. There is always a reason to be alive.

Im afraid of death to a certain point. If i have to die for my family i will. I tend to not think of death because im just to young for it, and i encourage my grandparents(mostly)/anyone else to do the same. Death is just a thing in life no one can bipass. But sorry to hear about your friend.

Heavy topic, but one that I feel few are willing to face. I'm not really afraid of death, but there are certian ways I'd prefer to go over others. In my sleep is at the top of my list and being burned to death is at the bottom.

Having a terminal illness has opened me up to the prospect of rational suicide as a very viable option. As a matter of fact I have the modalities in place to cleanly effect an exit decission when the time comes. My partner and I have disscussed this at length and while it's not something she sees as an option for her and she wasts as much time with me as possible, she understands that I don't want to suffer, nor does she want to see me suffer. She's made peace with my decission and supports me entirely.

OTOH, in another life I suffered greatly from depressionas a result of unaddressed G.I.D. and was also suicidal... this was a very different animal, irrational suicide. Never an answer to life's 'problems'. There's always an answer, but sometimes we never realize the solution until it's too late.

Yesterday I found out one of the girls I hang out with (there are four of us pals) died. From an overdose. She was on prescription meds, and was out on stress leave. Some say that it was suicidal, some say she probably drank liquor with the drugs and made a bad mistake. Either way, she's gone.

So I've been talking back and forth with a few supportive friends. We had actually started to discuss whether or not we should try to stop someone from suicide. And within there the question came up:

ARE YOU AFRAID OF DEATH?

It came out that we talked about acceptance of death and denial of it - the results of both and how they would matter in the mind of person committing suicide.

For me the thought of death comes down to fear. Fear of the unknown. Is there life after death? Is there nothing? The thought of no life after death scares me alot. I think how we feel on the matter, whether we believe there is a god, at least for me plays a huge role. There has been those brief moments where my day has been so bad I wondered if life wasn't worth it. But I always have the comfort of knowing, that through enduring to the end I can reach a higher plane of understanding and love. That's just my opinion on the matter though.

But in the mind of someone who's contemplating suicide I suppose the end result doesn't matter to them. I mean it doesn't affect how they are feeling, all they feel is bad and the only way out is to end the pain they are suffering.

Anyways sbw, my only advice is to go hug someone you love, eat some comfort food, and take it easy

A life ended so young is a trajedy...Today might seem bad and tomorrow unbearable but no one should quit life. Like Cycle17 I have seen death one too many times and do not fear it. Ride by any cemetery and you will see rows and rows of irreplaceable people. My life's goal is to love too much, laugh too much, hurt too much and die with no regrets.

The whole situation sucks. There are no words to describe the loss of a life under those circumstances. Be well and talk to your friends and family...

I'm not afraid of death, but that's largely because of my faith. That said, I don't seek it, and I plan on taking all measures possible to ensure I spend as much time as possible here before I pass on.

I'm very sorry for your loss SBW, so sad to have a friend die so unexpectedly.

As far as my fearing death, no, I don't think I do, however, I do fear not living life to it's fullest, and being as good a person as I can be. I've known people who have lived their lives in the same town, doing the same things, and not experiencing a full life, I would not want that, I want to see the world, do all I can and make others as happy along with those things. If I live a full and happy life, I have no fear of the end, I'll go with a smile!

Some people spend their whole lives looking for meaning, looking for something to ease them towards the inevitable. But when they finally get there in a way that doesn't agree with our own notions of how we should lead our lives, we consider that disillusioned.

On one hand, if they see that as their only solution even though there might be other solutions, then they should so be informed. But if afterwards, they feel that it only prolongs the inevitable and they don't want to wait, then they're at the point where they willingly accept it then that's great for them, they no longer fear death. So when they're finally willing to welcome it with open arms, its their choice.

We shouldn't impose our standards of what is or isn't. Some people may actually enjoy living a meager existence in a small town. I have a friend who doesn't care that he's not living this life to its fullest because he believes that he's only here to prepare for the next life. He's a great guy and who am I to change his mind or tell him otherwise?

I used to be. But ever since I held my mum's hand as she died, I'm not so afraid anymore. It was certainly a traumatic decade after that, but I think I came out as quite a different person.

While I'm no longer afraid of death and can really get into the adrenaline-junkie activities like sky-diving, base-jumping, auto/motorcycle-racing, rock-climbing/rapelling (just need bull-fighting to round out Papa Hemingway's list of "real sports"), I'm actually not as wreckless as I used to be. I really cherise life and there's A LOT I want to get done before it's all over. No matter how long I'll live, it won't feel like enough.

Death is just a natural stage in life, it's the same as birth & life... a transition... nothing to be afraid of. In fact, whenever anyone dies, it's time for a PARTY in my book. Celebrate the memories of their life, the wonderful things they did and achieved.

I never feared death that I know of. I almost choked to death when I was 17. As I was gasping for air, my thoughts were of my family and friends, not me being afraid. I have no desire to die early, but its not something I believe I fear.

As for death. I have no fear of it at all. Actually, I'm more scared of becoming crippled than I am of death. Thing is, no matter how hard one tries, death will happen...so it's best to come to terms with that. Live life as a good and honorable person, so when the time comes, one can leave this world with no regrets.

For the suicidal, it's a matter of "what do they fear more"....death, or the source of their torment?

I'm not scared of death, but I don't want to go out either in pain or with my mental faculties gone. I've been in "imminent danger" on a couple of occasions. When I was young with no kids with Scuds coming my way daily, I defied it. Don the gear and watch the show, but there was a realistic possibility of getting killed. Fast forward a few years, when I fractured my spleen BMX racing, I was real close. It was a very different feeling, with me applying some willpower to want to stay alive rather than let the pain end. A morphine drip was doing very little, but I had a wife and kids. I didn't want to leave them. I still don't, but it's not a fear.

Death is just a natural stage in life, it's the same as birth & life... a transition... nothing to be afraid of. In fact, whenever anyone dies, it's time for a PARTY in my book. Celebrate the memories of their life, the wonderful things they did and achieved.

Well, just for kicks, let's look at the word "funeral" for a moment. Starts with the word "fun", doesn't it? And all I see out there are a bunch of sad faces. Well, the Grim Reaper's an ugly customer, I'll grant you that, but you know who's worse? It's Mr. Mope.

I'm sorry to hear about your friend, Siu. When someone you care about dies in such circumstances, you do tend to wonder if you could have made any difference. Hard to say. Was she really suicidal or was she abusing the prescription meds and made a mistake? You'll never know. I can totally relate, as that was how my father died. We do know he was vehmently opposed to suicide in that way that many Christians are. I suspect he made a fatal error when abusing the drugs, but I'll always wonder.

I'm not afraid to die per se. I think my belief in some sort of continuation after death helps. I just don't want to die in great pain and suffering.

As to whether or not to intervene when someone you know is suicidal, I'd say yes so long as it is not a carefully thought out decision based on having a terminal illness. To me, suicide to avoid a slow, painful death from a disease is very different from suicide as a response to emotional/mental issues.

When I was young(er) I used to think that when I 'got some' -that then I would be ready for the end, and death and all that -(should it come my way).. Now that I'm a little older and having 'got some', I still realise that it is not enough, and I would really like to get 'some more', A LOT more, before I go yelling and screaming 'into that good night'. So far I've had a beautiful Jewish girl -(my gf of six years), and women of my own ethnicity -(who were/are great! ), but man I'd really like to find some nice Indian/south asian women -- and Persian and Lebanese girls are really hot too imo. If after that, I want to settle and find a good wife and have kids, -then I will probably still remain ''clingy'' to life.. If not, then I will probably be a pretty happy mo'f***er and be contented to just read books and travel and stuff and enjoy each and every day -as a bonus.

I understand where you are coming from, Siu. I had a friend (albeit a relatively new friend) go the same way earlier this year. It was a girl in our "greyhound group". It got us all asking philosophical questions like this too.

That being said....I don't think I really fear death. It's something all must face one day. I think I look at it like Stacey said....I don't fear it per se, but would prefer to choose my own exit method if possible.

As to whether or not to intervene when someone you know is suicidal, I'd say yes so long as it is not a carefully thought out decision based on having a terminal illness. To me, suicide to avoid a slow, painful death from a disease is very different from suicide as a response to emotional/mental issues.

Sometimes, emotional/mental issues can lead to a very prolonged and painful life.